Non-contact thermometers are commonly used for remote temperature detection. Some conventional non-contact thermometers make use of an infrared heat detector known in the art as a thermopile, wherein when the non-contact thermometer device is pointed at a first target and the thermopile detects the temperature at the first target, it displays the temperature on the device. The user must then look at the device to read the measured temperature. Unfortunately, with these conventional non-contact thermometers, a user may unintentionally move the device when reading the temperature. As such, the temperature actually being measured may not correspond to the first target.
Further, some conventional non-contact thermometers allow the user to set a temperature gradient threshold. With these conventional non-contact thermometers, if a temperature is detected that surpasses the temperature gradient threshold, the user is alerted with a sound. However, these conventional non-contact thermometers may be limited in that they can only detect positive temperature changes.
What is needed is a non-contact thermometer that enables the user to visualize a temperature gradient in both the positive and negative direction, without requiring the user to look at the device.